2021 Afc Champions League
The 2021 AFC Champions League was the 40th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the current AFC Champions League title.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 7–10 April 2021 (W) 23 June 2021 (E) Competition proper: 14 April – 23 November 2021 |
| Teams | Competition: 40 Total: 49 (from 20 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Al-Hilal (4th title) |
| Runners-up |  Pohang Steelers |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 135 |
| Goals scored | 379 (2.81 per match) |
| Attendance | 147,086 (1,090 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Michael Olunga(9 goals) |
| Best player(s) | Salem Al-Dawsari |
| Fair play award | Al-Hilal |
Al-Hilal won their fourth title by defeating Pohang Steelers 2–0 in the final, becoming the most successful team in the history of the competition. As winners, they automatically qualified for the 2022 AFC Champions League (although they had already qualified through their domestic performance). They also earned the right to play in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The tournament was the first to involve 40 teams during the group stage, with an increase from the previous 32 teams.
Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the semi-finals by fellow South Korean club Pohang Steelers.
Association team allocation
The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the Northern Mariana Islands, which became a full member in December 2020 and are not eligible for this season) are ranked based on their clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions (their national team's FIFA World Rankings no longer considered). The slots are allocated by the following criteria according to the Entry Manual:
- The associations are split into two regions (Article 3.1):
- West Region consists of the 25 associations from the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), and the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA).
- East Region consists of the 21 associations from the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF).
- The AFC may reallocate one or more associations to another region if necessary for sporting reasons.
- The top 12 associations in each region are eligible to enter the AFC Champions League.
- In each region, there are five groups in the group stage, including 16 direct slots, with the 4 remaining slots filled through qualifying play-offs (Article 3.2). The slots in each region are distributed as follows:
- The associations ranked 1st and 2nd are each allocated three direct slots and one play-off slot.
- The associations ranked 3rd and 4th are each allocated two direct slots and two play-off slots.
- The associations ranked 5th are each allocated one direct slot and two play-off slots.
- The associations ranked 6th are each allocated one direct slot and one play-off slot.
- The associations ranked 7th to 10th are each allocated one direct slot.
- The associations ranked 11th to 12th are each allocated one play-off slot.
- The AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are each allocated one play-off slot should they not qualify for the tournament through domestic performance (Article 3.6). However, there are no AFC Cup title holders for this season as the 2020 AFC Cup was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following rules are applied:
- If the AFC Champions League title holders or AFC Cup title holders are from associations ranked 1st to 6th, their association is allocated the same number of play-off slots, and they replace the lowest-seeded team from their association. Otherwise, their association is allocated one additional play-off slot, and they do not replace any team from their association (Articles 3.8, 3.9 and 3.10).
- If both the AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are from the same association which is allocated only one play-off slot, their association is allocated one additional play-off slot, and only the lowest-seeded team from their association is replaced as a result (Article 3.11).
- The AFC Champions League title holders and AFC Cup title holders are the lowest-seeded teams in the qualifying play-offs if they do not replace any team from their association (Article 3.12).
- If any association ranked 1st to 6th do not fulfill any one of the AFC Champions League criteria, they have all their direct slots converted into play-off slots. The direct slots given up are redistributed to the highest eligible association by the following criteria (Articles 3.13 and 3.14):
- For each association, the maximum number of total slots is four and the maximum number of direct slots is three (Articles 3.4 and 3.5).
- If any association ranked 3rd to 6th is allocated one additional direct slot, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
- If any association ranked 5th to 6th is allocated two additional direct slots, one play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed.
- If any association ranked 7th to 10th do not fulfill any one of the AFC Champions League criteria, they have their direct slot converted into play-off slot. The direct slot given up is redistributed to the next association ranked 11th or 12th, whose play-off slot is annulled and not redistributed, or if neither are eligible, the highest eligible association by the same criteria as mentioned above (Articles 3.16 and 3.17).
- If any association with only play-off slot(s), including any association ranked 11th to 12th or those mentioned above, do not fulfill the minimum AFC Champions League criteria, the play-off slot(s) are annulled and not redistributed (Articles 3.19 and 3.20).
- For each association, the maximum number of total slots is one-third of the total number of eligible teams (excluding foreign teams) in the top division (Article 3.4). If this rule is applied, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.10).
- All participating teams must be granted an AFC Champions League license, and apart from cup winners, finish in the top half of their top division (Articles 7.1 and 9.5). If any association do not have enough teams which satisfy these criteria, any direct slots given up are redistributed by the same criteria as mentioned above, and play-off slots are annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.9).
- If any team granted a license refuses to participate, their slot, either direct or play-off, is annulled and not redistributed (Article 9.11).
Association ranking
For the 2021 AFC Champions League, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking which was published on 29 November 2019, which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup during the period between 2016 and 2019.
| Participation for 2021 AFC Champions League | |
|---|---|
| Participating | |
| Not participating | |
|
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- Notes
Teams
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
- Notes
Al-Shorta
Al-Zawraa
Al-Quwa Al-JawiyaTehran teams
Persepolis EsteghlalQatar teams
Al-Duhail
Al-Sadd Al-Rayyan Al-Gharafa 
Al-Hilal Al-NassrDubai-Sharjah-Ajman (DSA) Metropolitan teams
Sharjah Shabab Al-AhliTashkent teams
Pakhtakor Tashkent AGMK 
Ulsan Hyundai
Pohang Steelers Daegu FCOsaka teams
Gamba Osaka Cerezo OsakaGreater Bangkok teams
BG Pathum United
Port Brown: Group A; Red: Group B; Orange: Group C; Yellow: Group D; Pink: Group E; Green: Group F; Blue: Group G; Cyan: Group H; 
Turquoise: Group I; Purple: Group J; Qualifying play-offsSchedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows.
On 25 January 2021, the AFC published the schedule of the competition. The group stage is played as centralized double round-robin tournament, and the round of 16 and quarter-finals are played as a single match.
Notes:
- W: West Region
- E: East Region
| Stage | Round | Draw date | Match date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round | No draw | 20 June 2021 (E) |
| Play-off stage | Play-off round | 7–10 April 2021 (W), 23 June 2021 (E) | |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 27 January 2021 | 14–15 April 2021 (W), 22–26 June 2021 (E) |
| Matchday 2 | 17–18 April 2021 (W), 25–29 June 2021 (E) | ||
| Matchday 3 | 20–21 April 2021 (W), 28 June – 2 July 2021 (E) | ||
| Matchday 4 | 23–24 April 2021 (W), 1–5 July 2021 (E) | ||
| Matchday 5 | 26–27 April 2021 (W), 4–8 July 2021 (E) | ||
| Matchday 6 | 29–30 April 2021 (W), 7–11 July 2021 (E) | ||
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 13–15 September 2021 | |
| Quarter-finals | 17 September 2021 | 16–17 October 2021 | |
| Semi-finals | 19–20 October 2021 | ||
| Final | 23 November 2021 |
The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows.
| Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary stage | Preliminary round | No draw | 26 January 2021 | |
| Play-off stage | Play-off round | 2 February 2021 | ||
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | TBD | 15–16 February 2021 (W), 23–24 February 2021 (E) | |
| Matchday 2 | 22–23 February 2021 (W), 2–3 March 2021 (E) | |||
| Matchday 3 | 8–9 March 2021 (W), 16–17 March 2021 (E) | |||
| Matchday 4 | 5–7 April 2021 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 19–21 April 2021 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 3–5 May 2021 | |||
| Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 17–19 May 2021 | 24–26 May 2021 | |
| Quarter-finals | TBD | 23–25 August 2021 | 13–15 September 2021 | |
| Semi-finals | 28–29 September 2021 | 19–20 October 2021 | ||
| Final | 21 November 2021 | 27 November 2021 | ||
Qualifying play-offs
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary. The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined based on each team's association ranking and their seeding within their association, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match in the West Region. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same tie. The eight winners of the play-off round (four each from both West Region and East Region) advanced to the group stage to join the 32 direct entrants.
Preliminary round
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Brisbane Roar  | Cancelled |  Kaya–Iloilo |
| Melbourne City | Cancelled |  Shan United |
Play-off round
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Al-Gharafa  | 0–1 (a.e.t.) |  AGMK |
| Al-Wehda | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–3 p) |  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
Foolad  | 4–0 |  Al-Ain |
| Al-Wahda | 2–1 | Al-Zawraa |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Shanghai Port  | 0–1 | Kaya–Iloilo |
Cerezo Osaka  | Cancelled | Melbourne City |
| Pohang Steelers | Cancelled |  Ratchaburi Mitr Phol |
| Daegu FC | Cancelled | Chiangrai United |
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 27 January 2021. The 40 teams were drawn into ten groups of four: five groups each in the West Region (Groups A–E) and the East Region (Groups F–J). For each zone, teams were seeded into four pots and drawn into the relevant positions within each group, based on their association ranking and their seeding within their association, in consideration of technical balance between groups. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.
In the group stage, each group was played on a double round-robin basis in centralised venues. The winners of each group and three best runners-up from each region advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage.
| Tiebreakers |
|---|
| The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 8.3):
|
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | IST | HIL | SAH | AGK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Istiklol | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | |
| 2 | Al-Hilal (H) | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 10 | 3–1 | — | 0–2 | 2–2 | ||
| 3 | Shabab Al-Ahli | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0–1 | 0–2 | — | 3–1 | ||
| 4 | AGMK | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 7 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 2–1 | — |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SHA | TRA | PAK | QWJ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sharjah (H) | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 11 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Tractor | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 10 | 0–0 | — | 0–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Pakhtakor | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 7 | 1–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | — |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | DUH | AHL | SHO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteghlal | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 11 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 2–2 | 5–2 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Al-Duhail | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 9 | 4–3 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Al-Ahli (H) | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Al-Shorta | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 3 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–3 | — |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NAS | SAD | WEH | FOO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Nassr (H) | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 11 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | Al-Sadd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 | 1–2 | — | 3–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 |  Al-Wehdat | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 7 | 0–0 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Foolad | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 5 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PER | WAH | GOA | RAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Persepolis | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 15 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–2 | |
| 2 | Al-Wahda | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 13 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | 3–2 | ||
| 3 |  Goa (H) | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 3 | 0–4 | 0–2 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Al-Rayyan | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ULS | PAT | VIE | KAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ulsan Hyundai | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | +12 | 18 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | |
| 2 | BG Pathum United (H) | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | 0–2 | — | 2–0 | 4–1 | ||
| 3 |  Viettel | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 6 | 0–1 | 1–3 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 | Kaya–Iloilo | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 16 | −14 | 0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–5 | — |
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NAG | POH | JOH | RAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nagoya Grampus | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 16 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 3–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Pohang Steelers | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 11 | 1–1 | — | 4–1 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 |  Johor Darul Ta'zim | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 4 | 0–1 | 0–2 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Ratchaburi Mitr Phol (H) | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 2 | 0–4 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — |
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JEO | GAM | CHI | TAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 5 | +17 | 16 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 9–0 | |
| 2 | Gamba Osaka | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 9 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 8–1 | ||
| 3 | Chiangrai United | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 8 | 1–3 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 4 |  Tampines Rovers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 27 | −26 | 0 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–3 | — |
Group I
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | KAW | DAE | UNI | BJG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kawasaki Frontale | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | +24 | 18 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 3–2 | 8–0 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Daegu FC | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 6 | +16 | 12 | 1–3 | — | 7–0 | 5–0 | ||
| 3 | United City | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 24 | −20 | 4 | 0–2 | 0–4 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Beijing Guoan | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 23 | −20 | 1 | 0–7 | 0–3 | 2–3 | — |
Group J
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | CER | KIT | POR | GZH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerezo Osaka | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 14 | Advance to Round of 16 | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | |
| 2 |  Kitchee | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 11 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Port (H) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 8 | 0–3 | 1–1 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | Guangzhou | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 17 | −16 | 0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–5 | — |
Ranking of second-placed teams
West Region
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | Al-Wahda | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 13 | Advance to Round of 16 |
| 2 | B | Tractor | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 10 | |
| 3 | A | Al-Hilal | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 10 | |
| 4 | D | Al-Sadd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 | |
| 5 | C | Al-Duhail | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 9 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
East Region
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | Daegu FC | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 6 | +16 | 12 | Advance to Round of 16 |
| 2 | F | BG Pathum United | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | |
| 3 | G | Pohang Steelers | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 11 | |
| 4 | J | Kitchee | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 11 | |
| 5 | H | Gamba Osaka | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 9 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Disciplinary points; 5) Drawing of lots.
Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. All ties were played as a single-leg match (Regulations Article 9.1). Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winners if necessary (Regulations Article 9.3 and 10.1).
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 14 September – Sharjah | ||||||||||||||
| Sharjah | 1 (4) | |||||||||||||
| 16 October – Riyadh | ||||||||||||||
| Al Wahda (p) | 1 (5) | |||||||||||||
| Al Wahda | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 14 September – Doha, Qatar | ||||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Al Nassr | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 19 October – Riyadh | ||||||||||||||
| Tractor | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Al-Nassr | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 14 September – Dushanbe | ||||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Istiklol | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 16 October – Riyadh | ||||||||||||||
| Persepolis | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Persepolis | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 13 September – Dubai, UAE | ||||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Esteghlal | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 23 November – Riyadh | ||||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Al-Hilal | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 15 September – Jeonju | ||||||||||||||
| Pohang Steelers | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (p) | 1 (4) | |||||||||||||
| 17 October – Jeonju | ||||||||||||||
| BG Pathum United | 1 (2) | |||||||||||||
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 14 September – Ulsan | ||||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai (a.e.t.) | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai (p) | 0 (3) | |||||||||||||
| 20 October – Jeonju | ||||||||||||||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 0 (2) | |||||||||||||
| Ulsan Hyundai | 1 (4) | |||||||||||||
| 15 September – Osaka | ||||||||||||||
| Pohang Steelers (p) | 1 (5) | |||||||||||||
| Cerezo Osaka | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 17 October – Jeonju | ||||||||||||||
| Pohang Steelers | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Pohang Steelers | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 14 September – Toyota | ||||||||||||||
| Nagoya Grampus | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Nagoya Grampus | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Daegu FC | 2 | |||||||||||||
Round of 16
The round of 16 was played over one leg, with the matchups determined by the combination tables based on which group runners-up qualified.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Istiklol | 0–1 | Persepolis |
| Sharjah | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) | Al-Wahda |
| Esteghlal | 0–2 | Al-Hilal |
| Al-Nassr | 1–0 | Tractor |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ulsan Hyundai | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–2 p) | Kawasaki Frontale |
| Nagoya Grampus | 4–2 | Daegu FC |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | BG Pathum United |
| Cerezo Osaka | 0–1 | Pohang Steelers |
Quarter-finals
The quarter-finals were played over one leg, with the matchups and home team decided by draw held on 17 September at 15:00 (UTC+8) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Al Wahda | 1–5 | Al-Nassr |
| Persepolis | 0–3 | Al-Hilal |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Ulsan Hyundai |
| Pohang Steelers | 3–0 | Nagoya Grampus |
Semi-finals
The semi-finals were played over one leg.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Nassr | 1–2 | Al-Hilal |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ulsan Hyundai | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5 p) | Pohang Steelers |
Final
The final was played over a single leg on 23 November. The host was determined on a rotational basis, with the match hosted by team from the West Region in odd-numbered years (Regulations 9.1.2).
| Al-Hilal | 2–0 | Pohang Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| Live Report Stats Report |
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | R16 | QF | SF | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Olunga | Al-Duhail | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | ||||
| 2 |  Gustavo | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |||||
| 3 |  Modou Barrow | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| Edgar | Daegu FC | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Leandro Damião | Kawasaki Frontale | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
 Bafétimbi Gomis | Al Hilal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| Patric | Gamba Osaka | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| 8 |  Cheick Diabaté | Esteghlal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||
| Cesinha | Daegu FC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
 Abderazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs and matches voided by AFC are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4).
See also
Notes
References
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